Fears are rising over a suspected killer on the loose – but police across New England say there’s nothing to worry about
Human remains have been discovered near Taylor Swift’s home which has fuelled ‘New England serial killer’ fears.
Dozens of residents across the New England region have been raising the alarm about a suspected murderer on the loose, after the human remains or dead bodies of a dozen people have been found in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts – all in the space of a few months.
Neighbors have grown increasingly concerned by what started as an online conspiracy theory about a ‘serial killer,’ which has now flared up again since the discovery of yet more suspected human remains.
A grisly scene unfolded near celebrity superstar Swift’s holiday home on Wednesday (May 14).
Police confirmed to People that suspected human remains were found in the Watch Hill, Rhode Island, area, the affluent spot where the singer’s sprawling seaside home is situated.
The remains were located in the same area Taylor Swift’s mega holiday home sits (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Officers attended the scene on Everett Avenue at around 9:30am and found ‘what appeared to be a human leg bone’, the news outlet reports.
The Westerly Police Department said in a statement: “Investigators are awaiting official confirmation of the identity of the remains.
“No foul play is suspected at this time.”
The remains have been taken to the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office for further analysis.
Shock from local residents
Human remains found in Rhode Island neighborhood
Credit: NBC 10 WJAR
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Residents near Swift’s reported $17.75 million mansion spoke of their shock to NBC10 WJAR, as Taylor Day said it was ‘alarming’ and ‘something very out of the ordinary for Westerly’.
She said the spot where the remains were found was just ‘probably just a couple of football fields away’ from Swift’s house and the Ocean House.
“I would never expect anything like that – especially not in Watch Hill,” Day added.
The suspected human bone comes as a dozen other remains have been found across towns in New England, including Connecticut (New Haven, Norwalk, Groton, and Killingly), as well as Foster (Rhode Island), Framingham, Plymouth, and Springfield (Massachusetts).
The 12 human remains found across New England
The body of a woman, identified as 35-year-old Paige Fannon, was found by a police scuba team on March 6 from the Norwalk River, the New Haven Register reported.
The body of Paige Aliehs Fannon was the first of the 13 to be found (GoFundMe)
On the same day Fannon was found, officers over in Plymouth were called out to reports of remains found by a hunter in the woods, which was later confirmed to be a human skull with its jaw and nasal area missing.
Police in Groton then discovered the body of a woman, believed to be between 40 to 60 years old, inside a suitcase near a cemetery on March 19, as per WTNH.
That same week, authorities in New Haven found the decomposed body of Denise Leary on March 21, who was found in a ‘state of decay’ in a wooded area behind a home.
Then on March 25, the body of 56-year-old Michele Romano was found in a wooded area off Plainfield Pike in Rhode Island, as per WJAR.
Denise Leary has been reported missing in September (New Haven Police Department)
On April 9 and 10, unidentified remains of a man believed to be between 25 to 45 years old were found in Killingly, Connecticut, as well as further unidentified remains in Massachusetts.
On April 21, more unidentified remains were located in the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, by a boater.
The next day, a woman later identified as Meggan Meredith, died after being found ‘unresponsive’ off a bike path in Springfield which police are treating as a homicide.
On April 23, the bodies of two men were found in the woods near a Walmart in Salem, Massachusetts.
Friends and family have been demanding justice for Michele Romano (Facebook/Justice for Michele Romano)
Fast forward to May 14, and likely human remains were also found washed up in Rhode Island.
The suspected human bones near Taylor Swift’s mansion present the possible 13th find in recent times.
UNILAD has contacted Swift’s reps for comment.
Why do people think there is a serial killer?
Some fear the suspicious discoveries of the mostly female victims indicate a serial killer could be on the loose in the neighboring states.
A Facebook group previously dubbed ‘New England Serial Killer’ started the speculation and had more than 65,000 members before its name had to be changed due to rules and regulations in place on the social media site.
Other groups have since cropped up in its wake, with one warning about ‘sinister shadows lurking in the Southern New England tri-state area,’ adding that the community is ‘gripped by fear and uncertainty.’
What police say about the New England serial killer
Many of the bodies and human remains found indicate they died a long time ago, meaning they did not all die around the same time.
Still, it’s undeniable the discoveries are eerily similar, prompting police across the states to urge the public to stay calm.
Officials have ruled out foul play, claiming there is ‘no connection’ among the cases and ‘no known threat to the public’.
After the latest suspected human remains were found this week, Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella told Fox News Digital: “As far as I’m concerned, as far as right now, this has nothing to do with any serial killer [or] any New England murderer.”
Watch Hill is an affluent coastal neighborhood in Westerly, Rhode Island (Getty Stock Image)
Gingerella said the fears come from the ‘power of social media’.
Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni similarly said online rumors of a ‘serial killer’ hurt more than help, reports MetroWest.
“While online conversations around these incidents continue to grow, we urge the public to be mindful of the role that social media can play in spreading fear or misinformation,” he said. “Unverified claims can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture.”
Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh also slammed the theory as ‘internet rumors are just that’.
Leaked photos show how inmates escaped jail
Connecticut State Police have also tried to squash rumors, saying ‘there is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time’.Featured Image Credit: Boston 25 News/YouTube
Topics: Taylor Swift, Crime, US News, Connecticut
Updated 21:52 7 Aug 2024 GMT+1Published 20:07 7 Aug 2024 GMT+1
Taylor Swift’s concerts revealed to be targets of terrorist attacks as authorities make arrests
Two suspects have been arrested in Austria
Two men have been arrested in relation to alleged planned attacks across major events in Austria, including Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour concerts in Vienna.
One of the men arrested by Austrian federal and state police on Wednesday morning (7 August) was a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, who had allegedly pledged his allegiance to terror group ISIS.
The second suspect was arrested on Wednesday afternoon.
Taylor Swift is set to perform in Vienna on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week. (Thomas Niedermueller/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
According to director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl, both suspects were allegedly radicalized through the internet and had detailed how they planned to carry out an attack.
NBC News reports that when the 19-year-old suspect was taken into custody, a bomb squad at the scene found chemical substances. Investigators are currently still trying to determine if these substances could have been used to make a bomb, authorities shared.
Austria’s Cobra unit, which is akin to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, reportedly assisted with the arrests.
Swift was slated to perform at Vienna’s Ernst-Happel-Stadion on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as she continues the international leg of her so far year-long Eras Tour.
Authorities will be increasing security measures at Swift’s upcoming concerts in Vienna. (Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Although Austrian police officials previously shared that there were no plans to cancel the concerts after they ‘minimized’ the threat of danger, the concert organizers, Barracuda Music, have since confirmed that all three concerts will be canceled.
“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” the organizers wrote in a post on Instagram.
“All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 days,” they added.
Police had initially shared that in response to the threat they would be increasing and tightening security measures at the concerts, particularly at their entrance checks.
K-9 units, bomb squads, tactical vehicles, and a heavy weapons team were planned to be present for extra security measures.
Authorities also warned fans that these added measures may cause delays and increase wait times, urging them to arrive early.
65,000 fans are expected to attend each of Swift’s Austrian shows. (Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Swift’s Eras shows in Vienna were expected to draw 65,000 attendees per day, with an additional 10,000 to 15,000 fans outside of the arena police shared.
The singer is yet to address the situation as investigations continue.
UNILAD has contacted Swift’s reps for comment.
This is a developing story and updates will be posted accordingly.Featured Image Credit: Thomas Niedermueller/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management / Gregor Fischer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Topics: Celebrity, Taylor Swift, World News, Crime, Terrorism
